Cox Automotive’s August Dealertrack Credit Availability Index (published September 10) rose for a fourth straight month to 105.3—0.4% above July’s 104.9 and 7.7% above August 2025. That is the highest All-Loans reading since November 2015.
The same report shows why a Texas shopper should not hear “credit is open” and skip pre-approval. The average contract rate rose 9 basis points to 10.99%. The overall approval rate reached 73.9%—up 20 basis points from July and a 12-month high, but still 50 basis points below the 74.4% recorded a year earlier.
Access improved through structure, not cheaper money. The share of loans longer than 72 months hit a dataset record of 31.3%. Down payments held at 13%, matching October 2022 as the lowest share in nearly four years. The share of loans with negative equity rose to 57.4%. Subprime’s share of funded loans rose to 16.6%.
Auto Remarketing’s September 11 write-up of the same Cox figures makes the dealer-floor implication plain: more files can get bought, and more of those files are long-term, low-down, or still carrying an old note.
A long term and a small down payment can make a payment look friendly while the total cost and the time you stay underwater both grow. That is a choice you should see on paper before you fall in love with a windshield sticker.
TX Auto Approval helps Texas drivers check financing options before they commit to a desk payment. Starting is a short form—name, phone, email, and zip. A soft credit inquiry may be used as part of the pre-approval process. Bad credit and no credit are part of the mix the site already lists. A specialist reviews the application and contacts you with the pre-approval result. That is not a guaranteed approval and not a promised payment.
Ask for APR, term, cash price, and amount financed on one sheet. A 75-month quote is not comparable to a 60-month quote.
Do not treat “73.9% approved” as your odds. That is a national mix across channels. Your score, down payment, term, and vehicle still decide the lane.
If you still owe on a trade, say so early. Negative equity changes how much you are really financing.
Takeaway: August credit access reached an 11-year high while average contract rates moved up and long terms hit a record. Run Texas pre-approval first so “approved” is a real structure—not a stretched payment.